FREE ESSAY ON ROMERO

ROMERO

Named after the martyred Salvadoran archbishop and dedicated to the people that he also
served, Clinica Romero is a free clinic offering no-questions-asked, pay-whatever-you-can
medical and dental services and prescriptions to everyone who comes to its door. The
clean and bright facility is located in the basement of the Royal University of America's
Oriental Medical Center, 
Straightforward in its operation, Clinica Romero originally offered all its medical
services through volunteer physicians, although access to some grant money recently has
made it possible to hire a half-time physician, and Margaret Martinez is working on a
creative plan to pay part of the salary of a supervisor from the University of Southern
California Medical School, who would work on the clinic's site to oversee a cadre of
interns and medical residents who'd help provide medical services there. Meanwhile,
however, it efficiently delivers medical services six days a week (including two evening
sessions) with a group of about 15 local physicians who volunteer their services on a
rotating basis. 
In a series of related programs driven by project-specific funding, Clinica Romero also
provides health education (particularly AIDS/HIV), and an alcohol and drug-prevention
program that includes a community-organizing component aimed at ensuring that the
neighborhood's 456 (!) liquor stores and bars don't flout the laws regarding loitering
and sales to minors. 
With a staff of 23 and a $1 million annual budget, Clinica Romero faces a rising tide of
patients, with the numbers served increasing from 3,500 three years ago to an expected
11,000 this year. With welfare reform denying Medicaid to many legal immigrants, these
numbers aren't likely to decrease.